River Tern
River TernRiver TernRiver TernRiver Tern

River Tern

Sterna aurantia

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
40–50% · Likely
overall probability at Ranthambore National Park
518 Verified records at Ranthambore National Park
December Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's active at dawn and dusk

The river tern or Indian river tern (Sterna aurantia) is a tern in the family Laridae, the largest species currently included in the genus Sterna of typical terns. It is a resident breeder along inland rivers from Pakistan east through the Indian subcontinent, to Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia, where it is uncommon. Unlike most Sterna terns, it is almost exclusively found on freshwater, rarely venturing even to tidal creeks. Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a River Tern sighting in Ranthambore National Park, based on 518 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Ranthambore National Park

Black-bellied Tern
EN

Black-bellied Tern

Bird

Sterna acuticauda

<5% · Rare
Pallas's Gull

Pallas's Gull

Bird

Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus

<5% · Rare
Indian Skimmer
EN

Indian Skimmer

Bird

Rynchops albicollis

<5% · Rare
Brown-headed Gull

Brown-headed Gull

Bird

Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus

<5% · Rare
Whiskered Tern
LC

Whiskered Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chlidonias hybrida

<5% · Rare
Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gelochelidon nilotica

Insufficient data
Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Insufficient data
Little Tern
LC

Little Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sternula albifrons

Insufficient data
Lesser Black-backed Gull
LC

Lesser Black-backed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus fuscus

Insufficient data
Red-wattled Lapwing
LC Endemic

Red-wattled Lapwing

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Vanellus indicus

80–90% · Very likely
Black-winged Stilt
LC

Black-winged Stilt

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Himantopus himantopus

60–70% · Likely
Green Sandpiper
LC

Green Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa ochropus

30–40% · Possible

📅 Monthly Probability

50–60
Jan
50–60
Feb
30–40
Mar
30–40
Apr
30–40
May
30–40
Jun
20–30
Jul
20–30
Aug
20–30
Sep
40–50
Oct
30–40
Nov
50–60
Dec

🌅 When They're Spotted

Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)

🌅Crepuscular
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
40–50%
2 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
40–50%
3 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
30–40%
4 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
5 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
6 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
7 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
8 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
9 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
10 Hemis National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
11 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
12 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a River Tern in Ranthambore National Park?

About 43% of wildlife watchers report a River Tern sighting in Ranthambore National Park, based on 518 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see River Tern in Ranthambore National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for River Tern in Ranthambore National Park in our monthly data.

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